A long-time Study Center and Social Studies teacher passed away early this morning. Mr. Thomas Mattia, who had just retired this past June, had a great life and will always be remembered by the thousands of students he taught and by the teachers who were lucky enough to have him as a colleague and a friend. He would have been 93 years old this coming Wednesday. He was a sailor in World War II, seeing action in the Pacific. He was a teacher for half a century. He knew what he was talking about when he taught history. He was wise and compassionate, and will always be in the thoughts of those of us who were fortunate to have known him. Mr. Mattia, pictured above in the right corner, with Mrs. Jacobson on his right and Mrs. Pappas on his left, was loved by his students. They knew that his main goal was to help them do better in their classes (the same goal all we teachers in the Study Center share). Please read four student comments about him when he was teaching: "... an excellent resource with a lot of experience teaching Social Studies"; "He helps me SO much...He's a great teacher. He reminds me of my grandpa."; "He is the best ... such a helpful teacher, amazing ... I wish I had his brain."; and "The best teacher ever, helpful and kind." We will miss him, but we don't have to be sad. He lived a long, marvelous life. People should be judged by the positive ways in which they helped and influenced others, and using this measure, Mr. Thomas Mattia lived a very valuable life. He will be remembered that way. He WAS Life! He will be in the hearts and minds of all those who had the privilege of knowing him, and that is how he will remain alive to us.

There are times in our lives when people who mean a lot to us are no longer the people we see on a regular basis. Some of you found that out when you left your home country to come to the United States. Many of you will experience this when you graduate from high school and go your separate ways to various colleges or to work or even to return to the nation of your birth. Our community in the Study Center said good-bye to a very special person on Friday, March 14, when Mrs. Lillian Hsiao bade us farewell and went off to teach in another high school. She has already said and written that she will miss us. Her love of working with all of us was shown clearly by her dedication to the students whose lives and academic performances she made better. We want her to know that we will miss her friendship and her many talents very much. She touched the lives of so many people here, and now she will continue to do the same with the fortunate students (and teachers) at another high school. We hope to see her once in a while, perhaps on the streets of Great Neck, but in the meantime, if any of YOU want to send her a message or share a memory of her, please click on "Comments" and write and "Submit" what you have to say.

Do you think a good teen movie was left off this list? Do you disagree with any of the choices above? Click "Comments" and let us know about your ideas. Which movie do you think deserves to be on this list? Why?

The picture to the left shows a 16 year old girl, a junior in high school, posing with well-known singer Demi Lovato. Here's the question: If you could have the chance to spend some time with a famous person, whom would you choose to be with? Why would you pick that person? What would you want to say to that person? How would you want to spend, let's say, a couple of hours with that celebrity? Let us know!

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The ideas on this page come from a Study Center teacher with almost 50 years of teaching experience. More importantly, these entries have NO LIFE until you students write comments and share your ideas and your responses to the ideas presented. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Let yourself be heard.